Weather service forecasts 3 to 6 inches of snow on Dalton Highway through Saturday night

The National Weather Service in Fairbanks forecast 3 to 6 inches of total snow accumulation for Atigun Pass and the Dalton Highway through Saturday night, with the heaviest snow Saturday morning. The forecast came in statements issued Friday, Oct. 30, and reissued early Saturday.

At the Dalton Highway Summits and Bettles, that snow would follow totals of around 6 inches Friday, the agency said. Travel could be difficult, and blowing snow could cut visibility.

Friday's statements covered the highway from milepost 39 to 164 over the Dalton Highway Summits, 165 to 232 on the south slopes of the Central Brooks Range and 232 to 322 through the pass, according to the National Weather Service Watch Warning Advisory Summary. Winds at the pass were forecast to gust 20 to 25 mph through Friday evening.

The forecast changed over three rounds of statements in two days. On Thursday afternoon, the agency called for 4 to 8 inches through Atigun Pass and 5 to 10 inches of heavy snow on the south slopes. A Friday morning update repeated both ranges and warned that gusts up to 25 mph could cut visibility below a half mile at times. Friday afternoon's statements lowered both areas to 3 to 6 inches.

The weather service's area forecast discussion projected 4 to 12 inches at higher elevations of the Dalton Highway, including Atigun Pass, and said snow chances would end by Monday morning.

The Dalton Highway crosses the pass on its way to the North Slope, according to the state transportation department. Severe weather there can trigger avalanches that close the highway and strand travelers for days, and heavy drifts can become impassable even for large commercial trucks, the department says. Alaska News reported on avalanche work that brought intermittent closures to Atigun Pass on Oct. 23.

The statements reissued at 5:19 am Saturday expire at 4 pm Saturday, but light snow is expected to continue through Sunday, the weather service said. Road conditions are posted at Alaska 511.